The ‘Oreo Test’ and Other Ways to Help Kids’ Oral Health

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Worried your child is not brushing his or her tooth correctly? You would possibly need to attempt the Oreo check.

“If the kid eats an Oreo and brushes their tooth and the dad or mum can nonetheless see the Oreos, they have to be checking and serving to them brush,” stated Elise Sarvas, a medical affiliate professor of pediatric dentistry with the University of Minnesota.

Sarvas affords up the Oreo check and different concepts for good oral well being in recognition of National Children’s Dental Health Month in February.

“The mouth is an integral a part of the physique,” Sarvas stated. “For youngsters, having good oral well being lays the groundwork for a lot of vital milestones: getting enough vitamin to develop wholesome our bodies, having tooth to discover ways to pronounce syllables appropriately, holding area for the creating jaws and establishing vanity at a vital interval of self-development.”

To preserve a wholesome mouth, mother and father ought to ensure children are selecting wholesome snacks, getting enough fluoride and consuming a lot of water, Sarvas stated.

Water not solely hydrates children however makes their tooth stronger and affords a more healthy choice than juice or soda, Sarvas stated.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should not drink greater than 4 ounces of juice per day, and the common juice field is 6 ounces,” Sarvas stated, including that good snack choices embody “recent vegatables and fruits, deli meat and cheeses.”

When it involves cleansing your tooth, mother and father should not underestimate how laborious brushing tooth might be for youths who’re nonetheless creating motor expertise, Sarvas stated.

“I used to say that youngsters want supervision till they’ll write their identify in cursive, however now that children do not get taught that anymore, I say till they’ll tie their sneakers on their very own, which demonstrates good motor management,” Sarvas stated. “We all look ahead to the independence that comes with rising — it is nice for youths to begin brushing on their very own, however all the time have a dad or mum return and test for any missed spots.”

Sarvas says the perfect toothbrush for any child is the one they will really use, however added that softer bristles are higher for oral well being.

“Soft bristles conform extra simply to the numerous grooves in tooth and stop the gums from carrying away,” Sarvas stated.

Not all youngsters like the sensation of an electrical toothbrush, so Sarvas would solely advocate one provided that you are sure your little one will tolerate it.

“What’s most vital is to brush your kid’s tooth not less than twice per day with toothpaste that comprises fluoride. There are many various flavors available on the market now, so discover one which your little one likes greatest,” Sarvas stated.

Finally, mother and father ought to deliver their child on their inaugural journey to the dentist’s workplace following what Sarvas calls the kid’s “dental age one” — both their first tooth or their first birthday.

“This permits us ample time to counsel the household, test on progress and growth and supply common training,” Sarvas stated. “You additionally need to set up a dental house for youths so if there are issues afterward, households know the place to go exterior of the emergency division, which might’t all the time assist, and could also be very expensive.”

More data

The American Dental Association has extra suggestions for youngsters’s oral well being.

SOURCE: Elise Sarvas, DDS, MSD, MPH, medical affiliate professor of pediatric dentistry, University of Minnesota